THE REPRESENTATIVE TEAM.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 4, 28 July 1900, Page 15

THE REPRESENTATIVE TEAM.

THE Selection Committee (Messrs J. Murray, A. Campbell, and J. Pudney) have picked the following as the team to represent Wellington in its match with Wairarapa, at the Athletic Park, on Saturday next :— Full back, Hales; three-quarters, Braid, Roberts (centre), and De Vere ; five-eighth, M. Wood ; half, Meredith ; wings, Prichard (captain) and McGrath ; forwards, J. Spencer and McAnally (front rank), Calnan, J. OBrien (pivot), and August, E. Wylie and Dodd. * # • The team, as a whole, is a good one, though no selection has yet been made in which faults could not be found by critics, and this one is not an exception to the general rule In my opinion, and it is as a critic I am writing, the team could be strengthened with a few alterations. * * * As to the full back there are no two opinions— Hales has played this season better than he has before, and well deserves the place. The question is asked generally amongst followers of the game, " Who is Braid ?" To my mind, the inclusion of Braid is an experiment by the Committee. Admitted.he is fast and takes the ball well, in Cup matches he has played to the gallery and thus spoilt his play. Brodie or Johnson (Old Boys)— the latter for preference, more particularly on his strong defensive play— would have better filled the place. I am, however, prepared to see Braid justify his inclusion, on the ground that the experiment may be a success. * • * Roberts's is another name that objection is taken to. I think, however, that although " Cocky " has played patchy in some matches, in others he has shown that there is still a lot of devil in his play, and with a man to keep him going such as he has in front of him he will be found doing good work for the team. * * * De Vere is voted the best right wing three-quarter we've got, and he is worth Jris place. Of Wood's claim for inclusion there can be no two opinions, " Morry's " play since he came to Wellington being of a brilliant order. When he was playing for Hawke's Bay here last year he showed a marked tendency of running for the touch line, and jamming his three-quart-ers. A friend of his known to the writer pointed this failing out to him and he has got out of it, for now he runs true as a die, and plays an ideal five-eighth game. I can only say that his play so far contrasts more than favourably with anything the veteran " Jimmy " Duncan has shown in Wellington. * * » The trial for the position of half-back took place on Saturday between Meredith and Claridge, and on the afternoon's play Meredith was points ahead of his younaer rival. Meredith's play I like, and have always —he passes true, makes good openings, and knows no fear on the defence. * * * Of the wings both are good men, McGrath being more of the grafter with occasional flashes of good play, Priehard showing more of the brilliant pieces than of the solid work. lam one of those who are sorry to see H. Kelly not in the team, and it is on the wing I would place him. In Napier this used to be his place, and against Manawatu last season he played there, so that with these recommendations I think the place could have been given him, and his club-mate I would have left out in his favour. The argument against Kelly would be that he has not played on the wing this season, but surely if -it is good against him it must be equally good of Prichard, who' has only played on the wing for a solitary half-hour this season. * * # Coming to the forwards I think they would be improved by a re-arrangement. There are no less than four front-rankers in the seven, and I would place in the front rank J. Spencer and Wylie ; in the second row McAnally and Calnan on either side of OBrien, with August and Heffernan in the back row, thus dropping Dodd. Now for my reasons. I consider McAnally and Calnan the two best men we

have in the open, and by placing them on the sides of the scrum they could get away from the pack quickly, and thus give them a better chance of getting in their effective work. August would be much better in the back row, because the amount of push he puts into his work would be more felt. Heffernan being of weightier metal than Dodd, would have more chance than the younger man of equalising August's work, and of his footwork in the open, and line work, there can be no two opinions. Dodd, in the first two matches, played fine games, but has since, in my opinion, developed into a piano-player, the scrum losing the advantage of his strength. Thus the team I would like to see in preference to the one chosen would be : — Hales F. Johnston Roberts De Vere Wood Meredith H. Kelly McGrath J. Spencer E. Wylie Calnan OBrien MeAnally Heffernan August Alhambra won the Otago Senior Championship on Satin day. Melrose, by defeating Wellington on Satuiday, won the Senior Championship for 1900. " 'Ard " Kelly is " broke up." Not in the first thiity, that tiip to Auckland seems vei y remote this year. George Spencer kicked two fine goals for Melrose last Saturday— one from a maik and the othei iiora a try. Mclnnis was in great form for Meliose, heading all the lushes. This player is only a boy, but his " cap " is not tar away. City and Newton had a great " go " in Auckland last Satuiday, City winning the match and the Championship by 1 pomt — 13 to 12. It is said that Fitzgibbon, of wrestling fame, is taking on football next yeai. He leckons theie's honour and glory tor him on the Athletic Paik. The Athletic Club have four players in the repiesentative team, Mehose three, Petone two, Poneke two, Wellington two, Old Boys one, and Oiiental one. Meredith had a bit of luck with his place-kick on Satuiday — a "no chaige" being allowed — the first kick going wide, the second one between the upnghts. The practice of the belection Committee ol picking the captain of a repiesentative team is a bad one. The choice of the captain should be left to the team itself. The Weekly Piest, had two fine snapshots of the Sydenham - Christchurch match in its last issue. The one in which Ford was heading a toiwaid lush was a particularly good one. " Charlie " Bush was twenty-one on Satuiday. His club won its match with Old Boys, and he scored the try, but the luck did not keep going — " Charlie " did not get his place in the " leps." A coincidence. Newton was defeated in Auckland last season by the same points as City defeated them on Satuiday— 13 to 12 — the North Shore team winning the Championship with the match. What has Glasgow done ? Not in the first thirty, and yet he has played one of the finest games amongst theforwaids in Cup matches. Surely that one lapse in the Mellose match is not the cause of it. Two mistakes by Wellington players lost their club the match last Satuiday. The first one was the punt by Manson that gave Calnan the mark, the other being the fumble by Weston that let Claiidge away. " Ex- Forward," of the Ei-eniny Pout, made a good selection in last Satuiday's notes, and has been shaking hands with himself gieatly in consequence. This ought to bung nearer our coujreie'b dream of " the one man in the colony who can best pick a New Zealand representative team." The Appeal Committee have decided in favour of the Poneke Club in its appeal re the try scored by the Old Boys in the match in the fiist lound between these clubs. The decision came to hand on Saturday. It is stated the Old Boys Club intend to appeal to the English Union. The appeal by the Oriental Club against the decision of the local Union in disallowing a try in the match between that club and Poneke in the fiist lound has been held ovei by the Appeal Committee, pending leceipt of a statement from the leteiee as to whether the ball was " kicked " oi " canied " ovei the dead-ball line. Since the representative team was picked, and the captain announced, the general comment has been as to what qualifications Piichaid has for the position. I would have thought the Committee would have noticed the contiolling influence that has dominated the Wellington Club's play in its recent matches, and as Wood is playing in the conect position for a captain, one cannot understand why he was not the choice of the Committee.

The following were asked to keep in training in view of future matches, and of the probable matches with Nelson and Marlborough: — Judd, Walter Spencer, Coady, D. OBrien, Skelton, Heffernan, McGuirk, Gallagher, Manson, Chambers, Claridge, H. Kelly, F. Johnston, Thompson, Howe, C. Bush, Brodie, and G. Spencer. Wellington representative fixtures are : — Wairarapa (at Wellington), July 28 ; Wairarapa (at Masterton), August 11 ; Canterbury (at Wellington), August 18th ; Hawke's Bay (at Napier), August 21 ; Auckland (at Auckland), August 25 ; Taranaki (at Hawera), August 29 ; Otago (at Wellington), September 8; Southland (at Wellington), September 12.